Lewis & Short

in-cautus, a, um, adj.

  1. I. Act., incautious, heedless, improvident, inconsiderate (class.; syn. improvidus): ut in ipsum incautum atque etiam imparatum incideret, Caes. B. G. 6, 30, 2; Cic. Rosc. Am. 7, 20: Trebonius oppressus est ab hoste incautus, id. Phil. 11, 2, 5; id. Planc. 22, 53; id. N. D. 2, 1, 1: minime incautus patronus, id. Brut. 70, 246: ab secundis rebus incauti, Liv. 5, 44, 6: ad credendum pavor, id. 9, 12, 8.
    Comp.: incautior fuissem, nisi, etc., Cic. Fam. 9, 24, 1: juventa, Liv. 30, 13, 14.
    Sup.: incautissimus quia credulus, Sid. Ep. 8, 11.
          1. (β) With ab, or the gen.: a fraude, Liv. 40, 5, 5: futuri, Hor. S. 1, 1, 35: sui, Stat. Th. 6, 766.
  2. II. Pass., not guarded against or that cannot be guarded against, unforeseen, unexpected, uncertain, dangerous (not in ante-Aug. prose): scelus, Lucr. 6, 390; cf.: sic est incautum quidquid habetur amor, Prop. 2, 4, 14 (v. 24 M.): quod neglexeris incautum at que apertum habes, Liv. 25, 38, 14: iter hostibus, Tac. A. 1, 50: sub ictu, Sil. 2, 99: tenebrae, Luc. 5, 500.
    Hence, adv.: in-cautē, incautiously, inconsiderately: adhuc stulte omnia et incaute, Cic. Att. 7, 10: atque inconsulte pugnare. Liv. 7, 15, 9.
    Comp.: quod paulo incautius custodias in muro dispositas videbat, Caes. B. G. 7, 27, 1: sequi, id. B. C. 3, 24, 2: subit murum, Liv. 21, 7, 10: potes apparatius cenare apud multos: nusquam hilarius, simplicius, incautius, more at ease, Plin. Ep. 1, 15, 4.
    Sup.: ut se ipsos incautissime proderent, Aug. de Mor. Manich. fin.